It's Always The Pretty Ones (8 page)

Romeo sat down at his desk and took a deep breath before he picked up his phone receiver.
 
He had no idea why he was feeling this way.
 
He usually had nerves of steel when it came to women, so why in the hell was he feeling this way when it came to Krystal?
 
He just could not stop thinking about her.
 
Unlike other women he had dealt with, he wanted to know more about her and actually spend time with her.
 
He tapped his pen on his desk as he waited for her to pick up.

“Hello?”
 
Krystal answered.

“Hey Krystal.
 
This is Romeo.”

“Hey Romeo, how are you?”

“I’m fine.
 
How about you let me take you out for dinner?”

“Romeo, how many times have we been through this?”

“No, wait, before you shoot me down again, I’m not trying to get in your pants.
 
I just want to go out and have a nice time.
 
No strings attached.”

“Yeah, right.”
 
Krystal chuckled.

“I’m dead serious!
 
Are you willing to give me the chance to be a gentleman?”

The phone was silent for a minute.
 
“Okay.
 
I’ll give it a try.”

“Great.
 
I can pick you up at 7.”
 
Romeo smiled.

“I’ll be ready.”

Romeo hung up barely able to contain his smile.
 

Anton walked to his car after a very long work day, reluctant to go home.
 
He just knew the moment he walked through the door Dazzy was going to be in his face about something.
   

“Anton!”
 
A female voice yelled out from behind him.

He turned to see it was Jamelah. He was still furious with her for going behind his back, but glad to see her anyway.
 

“Hey Jamelah.”

“I’m glad I caught you.”
 
She said panting from running.

“Well, here I am.”
 
He said sarcastically.

“Look, I’m on my way to the airport, but I had to stop by and tell you that I’m sorry for going behind your back like that.”

“It’s okay.
 
I know you had good intentions.
 
I would say don’t do anything like this again, but I know that would be a waste of breath.”
 
He laughed as he hugged her.

“Well, I have to get out of here so I don’t miss my flight.”
 
She went in her pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to him.”

“What’s this?”
 
He asked.

“It’s the results.”

“Jamelah.”
 
Anton said with irritation.

“I haven’t looked at them because I felt so bad about how things went, but I couldn’t bring myself to throw them away.”

Anton just stuffed the paper into his pocket.

“It’s totally up to you if you look at.
 
I’m out of it.”
 
She stood up on her tiptoes and gave him a hug and a kiss.
 
“I have to get out of here.
 
I’ll call you when I get home?”

“Here, I’ll give you a ride.
 
Which airport are you at?”
 
He reached down and grabbed her bag.

“No, no.
 
I have a ride already.”
 
She smiled.

“You don’t have to pay for a cab.
 
I’ll take you.
 
Let’s go.”
 

He grabbed her bag, but was stopped.
 

“I have a ride already, Anton.”

He raised his eyebrow.
 
“With who?”

“Before you get all ‘big brother-ish’, his name is Charlie.
 
I met him at the conference, and he is a very nice guy.”

“I’ll be the judge of that!
 
Where is he?”

She grabbed his arm before he could get away from her.
 
“Oh no you don’t!
 
I told him to meet me here so we could go to the airport together.
 
You are not going to scare this one off!”

“I’m not going to scare him off; I just want to find out what he’s about.”

“No you don’t.
 
Besides, I already did.”
 
She smiled devilishly.

“You did what?”

“Oh calm down.
 
I’m a big girl.
 
I can take care of myself.”
 
She laughed.

“I know you can.
 
I just don’t want to see my little sister get hurt.”
 
He gave her a hug.

“Well, I’m not that same little girl you used to protect on the playground anymore.
 
You have to trust me.”

“I know, I know.”

“Well, big bro, I really have to go.
 
I’ll call you once I get home, okay?”
 
She gave him another kiss.

“Okay. Tell this guy Charlie, that I work in security so I can find his ass.”

Jamelah laughed.
 
“Okay.”
 

Anton smiled and shook his head as he sat in his car.
 
As he started the car, he remembered that he had the results in his pocket.
 
Part of him wanted to rip it up, but the other part of him wanted to see the results.
 
He reached in his pocket and pulled out the folded sheet of paper, took a deep breath and slowly opened it.
 
He saw a lot of numbers and medical speech, but his eyes zoned in on what he was looking for.
 

“Percentage of paternity 99.9%.”

He felt as if his heart was going to explode.
 
Angel was truly his and he had hard proof.
 
Suddenly, he didn’t care what kind of hell Dazzy had to dish out.
 
He just wanted to go home and kiss his baby.

Chapter 7

Romeo adjusted his tie and rang the doorbell of the quaint little bungalow that Krystal inherited from her grandparents.
 
She told him that she was so blessed to have gotten it because it allowed her to work part time and focus on her real love, acting.
 
She had done a few walk-on parts and commercials, but she wanted the whole enchilada.
 
She wanted the fame and recognition.
 
She had invited Romeo to a few of her shows at the local theater, but he was always too “preoccupied” to show up.
 

“
Coming!
”
 
She shouted from behind the door.
 

“Okay!”
 
He smiled as he turned and walked to the end of the porch and waved at the neighbors passing by.

“Okay, I’m ready.”
 
Krystal said from behind him.

He turned around and was floored by how great she looked.
 
The simple black strapless dress hugged her curves just right.

“Wow.”
 
He said with a huge smile.

“I clean up pretty well, don’t I?”

“You can say that again!”
 
He said as he handed her the rose he had hiding behind his back.

“Aww, how sweet!”
 
She took the rose and sniffed it.
 
“You’re off to a good start.”

“Well, I’m glad you think so.”
 
He smiled.
 
“Ready to go?”

“Sure.”
 
She walked off the porch and towards Romeo’s car.
 
“You never told me where we’re going.”

He chuckled as he opened the car door for her.
 
“You’ll see when we get there.”

They talked and laughed the entire ride.
 
They talked about their families and most of all the things they wanted out of their lives.
 
The more Romeo heard about Krystal, the more he felt for her.

Krystal raised an eyebrow when they pulled up to a tall black building that had no windows – just a door.
 

“What the hell?”

“Trust me.”
 
Romeo smiled as he got out of the car.

“I guess.”
 
She said as she got out of the car.

He gave his keys to the valet dressed in all black and they walked into the building.
 
Upon entering the building, they came upon the hostess standing behind a small podium.
 
“Good evening.
 
Welcome to Black.
 
Do you have a reservation?”

At this point, Krystal didn’t know what she was in for.
 
She just hoped it wasn’t some crazy sex club.
 
It wouldn’t surprise her being out with Romeo.
 

“Yes, Romeo Brooks, party of 2?”

The hostess smiled.
 
“Yes, Mr. Brooks.
 
You can follow me.

Krystal’s eyes got bigger as she watched the woman put on night vision goggles.
 
“What the hell?”
 
She whispered.

Anton smiled at her and extended his hand for hers as they stepped into the pitch blackness of the hallway.
 

“Romeo, what kind of place do you have me in?”
 
She resisted him as he pulled her into the hallway.

“You’ll see.
 
I promise it’s okay.”
 
He said as he stepped close enough for her to see the comforting smile on his face from the lights behind her.

She took a deep breath and allowed him to lead her down the dark hallway.
 
“I must say that this is truly the strangest date I have been on thus far.”

“Good.”
 
Romeo laughed.
 
“I hate being predictable.”

“Here you go.”
 
The hostess said as she held Romeo’s hand and led them inside their own private dining room he had reserved for them.
 

“You say ‘
here you go’
like we know where we are!”
 
Krystal replied jokingly trying to adjust her eyes in the pitch blackness.
 

The hostess laughed.
 
“Mr. Brooks, please stand here while we get your lovely date seated.”

Krystal felt Romeo release her hand and the hostess take it to lead her over to a very soft chair and guide her to sit down.
 
She turned her head and tried her best to see something, anything.
 
No luck.
 
She smiled as she felt Romeo’s familiar touch on her hand after he was seated.
 

“You okay?”
 
His voice said through the darkness.

“Yeah. I’m fine.”
 
She smiled.

“Please enjoy your dining experience.”
 
The hostess said through the dark.
 
“Your server, Chaz, is here to assist you.”

“Thank you.”
 
Romeo said.

“Good evening folks, as she said my name is Chaz and I will be you server tonight.
   
Directly in front of you is a bowl of our fresh chocolate infused strawberries.
 
Please enjoy them while your entrees
 
are being prepared.”

Thank you.”
 
They said in unison.

Krystal tried to find her way around the table to the strawberries, but had no luck.
 
“He said they were right in front of us right?”
 
She chuckled.

“Here, I found them.
 
Open up.”
 
Romeo said as he gently touched her cheek with one hand and inserted the strawberry with the other.
 

“Oh my God.”
 
She said after she bit into the strawberry.
 
The taste of fresh sweet chocolatey goodness filled her mouth and nose.
 
“I don’t think I have ever had a strawberry so delicious! Here you try.”

She felt around the table and found the basket.
 
“Open up.”
 
She said with an audible smile.
 
She felt his warm, soft lips glide against her fingers as he bit into the strawberry.
 

“Mmm.
 
That is good.”
 
He said as he held onto her hand.
 
“I think you have some chocolate left on your fingers.”
 

She suddenly felt the warmth of his juicy lips once again.
 
Not being able to see, all the rest of her senses were heightened.
 
His lips and tongue on her fingers sent shivers down her spine.
 
The smell of his cologne was intoxicating and his voice felt like velvet ripples that wrapped around her with every word he spoke.